Loose-leaf binder



C. B. STEVENS LOOSE LEAF BINDER Feb. 1, 1949.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 11, 1945 N m R M W km N 5 W \Mv M ON (TV r. 1 A m 4 W Hal.

Feb. 1, 194g.

Filed Oct. 11,

c. B. STEVENS 2,460,718 LOOSE LEAF BINDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Cl 'fforcl Brooks fiteuens.

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY BYQOQZZAM Patented Feb. 1, 1949 LOOSE -LEAF BINDER Clifford Brooks Stevens, Milwaukee; Wis., as-

signor to The Heinn Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of .Wisconsin Application October 11, 1943, Serial No. 505,717

8 Claims. (Cl. 12910 This invention relates to a loose leaf binder for 1 catalogues, note books and the like.

With the scarcity of metal during the war, many attempts have been made to construct ring binders from plastic compositions. The chief difficulties have arisen from attempting to follow the designs of metal binders without change and the inability of adapting plastics to the more intricate operating and locking mechanisms.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a simple and more eflicient binder particularly adapted for construction by plastic molding.

Another object is to provide a binder in which papers on one side are held in substantial alignment vertically, while thoseon the other side are held in the relation usually resulting from the arcuate'ring binder posts.

Another object is to provide a plastic binder which .is rigid and which employs two longitudinally pivotal base elements interlocked in such a manner that the posts of the binders are always tightly engaged without danger of spreading when the binder is closed.

Another object is to provide a plastic binder in which the posts are protected against undue stress.

Another object is to provide a plastic binder with a strong and durable lock without requiring the use of intricate metal parts.

Another object is to provide a binder that is .lighter in weight and more serviceable thanthe metal binders heretofore employed.

Another object is to provide a binder that can .be made of plastic material of different colors to suit the needs of various industries and users.

The several features of the invention are illustrated in the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings.

In thedr'awings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the binder when closed and locked;

. 2 showing the tongueand groove interlock taken on line 'i-l of Fig.1; and

Fig. 8 isan enlarged top plan view'of the looking end of the binder with parts broken away.

The binder illustrated is a combination post and ring binder in Whichthe posts 1 for holding the paper on the right-hand side of the book are upright and vertical with a substantially right angle turnZ at the top, while the corresponding posts 3 on the left-hand side are of curved arcuate or ring shape with only a short upright sec,- tion at the base of the posts. I

The posts I are cast integrally with a movable base strip 4. which has a substantial thickness to lend rigidity thereto. Thestrip 4 is nearly onehalf the width of the binder and has a projecting hinge 5 at one end.

. The posts 3 are cast integrally with a stationary base strip 5 of the same thickness as strip 4 and which is secured by rivets 1 disposed along its length to the back of the catalogue cover 3 to securethe binder in place. The rivets l are disposed near to the center line. of the base in order to hold the binder from displacement within its cover.

The bottom end of the strip 6. has its lower .half recessed to receive the hinge 5 of the. movable strip 4 and a rivet pin 9 pivotally secures the two together to allow the movable strip 4. to pivot longitudinally from a closed position parallel to strip Band in which the upper ends ofposts I engage the upper ends of posts 3 to an openposition at nearly'right anglesto strip 6 where the posts are separated for the insertion and removal of properly punched loose leaves.

'The binder is locked in closed position at the end opposite to hinge 5 by means. of a locking slide it which is of approximately one-half the thickness of strips 4 and 6, the latter being recessed beneath their ends to receive the slide.

. The slide H! has an upright cross member II at its outer end which serves for manual operation of the slide longitudinally of the binder. The slide I0 is riveted to. the overlying end portion l2 of strip 6 by a loose rivet l3 passing through a longitudinal slot 14 in the slide.

The longitudinal position of slide I0 is .determined by a fixed detent l5 projecting laterally 'from an upright side member I 6 of the slide and entering alternate recesses fl and 18 in the side of the end member I2'of strip 6. The side surface of member l2 between recesses l1 and I8 is curved outwardly to provide for a snap action of the detent I5 in passing from one recess to the other and to insure ease of operation of the slide gether.

, thepostsclosed at all times.

and securing the same in its opposite positions of movement. The flexibility of the plastic material from which the parts are made, coupled with the tolerances in the fit of the parts, enables'the detent to ride over the curved surface between recesses ll and I8 when the slide I0 is manually forcedoutwardly or inwardly." 1 e 'The stripll is locked in closed position byfslide Ill by means of a lug I9 on the slide adjacent end member I l and fitting into a recess 20 in the outer corner of the overlying end portion 2| of strip 4. The length of lug l9 longitudinally of the slide l0 should be no greaterthan the longitudinal movement of the slide sothat when the slide is pulled outwardly the end of member-'2! V 4 to providea binder embodying the invention and weighing about two-and-a-half ounces as compared to a corresponding metal binder that weighed nearly double for the same size catalogue. r

The ease with which a binder of the constructipndescribed can be molded frlornplastic mateon strip 4 will freely pass the lug IS in swinging strip]! laterally to open position; 1

The strips 4 and. 6 are interlocked verticall for substantially their full length .when in closed position to give rigidity'to the base of the binder andreenforce the movablestrip 4 against bending and consequent release, of some of the'post connections. This vertical interlock of strips 4 and 6 is provided by a tongue and groove, the

' tongue' '2 2 being preferably disposed centrally in the edge of strip 4 and the matching groove 23 being preferablyv disposed in the corresponding The tongue 22 and meeting edge of1 strip 6.

groove .23 extend substantially for the full length of th'e'body of-the strips except for interruptions .24 necessitated by the securing rivets 1." The depth of the tongue and groove should be for a substantial portion of the Width. ofthe binder base and will be limited by the moldin restrictionsfor the, particular plastic employedjThe binder base composed of strips 4 and fi, as illustrated, has a width of about one inch and a thickness of about three-sixteenths of'an inch.

rials and. the a'cjcuracyf obtainable' makes the manufacture of the binder less costly and more simple and adaptable for mass production methods. a

Theaotual number of posts in the length of the binder may be varied'to suit the need. The molds .may be constructed 'to provide the maximum number of posts required, and by blocking off mold cavities the posts may be reduced to three. if it is desired to produce a three ring binder.

The posts do not extend laterally beyond the sides of the'base. This feature is of considerable importance where plastic compositions employed are either weak'o'r brittlesince thereis no danger of the posts being broken by 'sh-ock or excessive stress when the binder is dropped, or of being crushed in shipment, as would vbe'the case if the posts extended beyond the sides of -the base as inmost steel binders. j o j 7 By providing upright posts l on theright-hand side of the hinder, the sheets on the normal working side of a notebook are'all held in vertical alignment, most suitable for support in writing. Furthermore, therelativelysho'rt top hook on the vertical posts facilitates the insertion and removal of sheets fromthis side, the sheetsalmost dropping vertically onto the posts. Various features of thein'vention might be em ployed in metal binders, and various embodie ments of the invention may be employed within The tongue 22 has a thickness a littl'e lessthan one-sixteenthinoh'and is centered vertically with respect to strip 4. The groove 23 isdesigned to 7 fitith tongue. with reasonable closeness without interfering with the closing'of the binder.

' base of uniform thickness and width'throughout I claim:

1. In a loose leai ind r of the class described,

the scope of the accompanying claims; I

comprising two longitudinalstrips disposed edge The posts I and 3 have fillets 25 at their lower ends: where they merge in the basestrips to" strengthenthe posts. The upper'endsjof corresponding posts are interlocked when closed to- This interlock preferably comprises a; ,rec'esszfi in the end of each-post l and a central curved projectionj 21 at the end of each corresponding post 3. The projection [2! is designed V relative .to'recess' 26 to provide for seating only at the outer rim where 'the abutting shoulders.

28fof therespectiveposts come together. This insures that there will be no'sduare corner ledge 'exposedfor'c-atchingthe paper'as'itis turned in eitherdirectionfrom one side ofthe binder tothe' other. If ,desired,-the underside of the meeting -shoulders 28 of the, posts maybe filed 'offfon a slightfupward taper to insurethat there will be no ragged edge to catch the paper.

The binderjis designed to provide that the re spective posts 'lfa'nd 3 come together at the top .beforethe strips 4 andl 6 come into final locking "position in" closing. "This places the structure under a .prdstressfed' condition vtending to hold The. binder is preferabl constructed of a relabase dimensions to edge; a pivotal connection at one end for securing said strips together and providing for lateral separation of the same at the opposite end,

' a slide of a width substantially the same as the strips at. the laterally separable endof said strips for laterally locking theisame in closed position with the strips being'recessed beneath their ends to receive the slide, said slide, underlying the recessed end of the strips to maintain the uniform and protect the lock against j r @L 2. In a loose leaf binder of the class described, a base of uniform thickness and width throughout comprising two'longitudinal strips disposed edge to edge, a pivotal connection' at one end for securing said strips together and providing for lateral separation of the same atthe opposite end, aslide of a width substantially'thesame as the strips at the laterally separable end ofsaid strips for laterally. locking thesame in -closed position with the strips being recessed beneath theirends to receive the slide, said slide'underlyin'g the recessed end of the strips to maintain the uniform base dimensions and having'a slot therein to receive a loose rivet member to secure the slide to one of the strips for limited endwise movement relative to'the strips; r 1

3. A loose leaf binder of'the classpdescribed comprising two, longitudinal strips of different width and nterlocked togetherlongitudinally edge 1 to edge, a pivotal connection atone end thereof for securingv said strips together and mounting the same. for lateral separation, manually operable means for locking said strips against epar a p a ita Qt s bs antia ly strai ht pests t nd ng v t cally-fr ntin narmw strip, and a p v f hatted D SrBr B JF Q ing vertically from the wider strip complementary to the vertical posts ofithe narrower strip and hate interlocking engagfiment therewith, the! width. o th strips. etermining-the lcat ee of the. curved nests on he: w der: st ps a hem tipni of the strai ht po sw n; the. n rr wer str p to provide a balanced binder with the longitudinal interlock of the posts located in substantially the same vertical plane as the longitudinal interlocking line of the strips.

4. A lightweight durable loose leaf ring binder of molded set plastic material secured to the back of a binder cover and comprising, a thick base member of substantially uniform width and thickness and constituted of a pair of strips disposed edge to edge with the adjacent edges thereof vertically interlocked for substantially the full length thereof, means mounting said strips for relative lateral separation, and a set of binder posts molded integrally with and extending vertically upward from each of said strips adjacent the respective outer edge thereof, the posts of each set curving inwardly to meet and engage the correspondin posts of theother at a parting line substantially Within the vertical plane of the meeting edges of the strips, and said posts being disposed substantially entirely between the vertical planes of the opposite sides edges of the base to protect the same against breakage.

5. A lightweight durable loose leaf ring binder of molded set plastic materialsecured to the back ofa binder cover and comprising, a thick base member of substantially uniform width and thickness and constituted of a pair of laterally separable strips disposed edge to edge with the adjacent edges thereof vertically interlocked for substantially the full length thereof, a pivotal connection between said strips at one end thereof providing such lateral separation therefor, a lock for securing said strips in closed relation at the end thereof opposite said pivotal connection, said pivotal connection and lock bein disposed substantially within the width and thickness of the base to protect the same from breakage, and a set of binder posts molded integrally with and. extending vertically upward from each of said stripsgadjacent the respective outer edge thereof, the posts of each set curving inwardly to meet and engage the corresponding posts of the other at a parting line substantially within the vertical plane of the meeting edges of the strips, and said posts being disposed substantially entirely between the vertical planes of the opposite side edges of the base to protect the same against breakage.

6. A lightweight durable loose leaf ringbinder of molded set plastic material secured to the back of a binder cover and comprising, a thick base member of substantially uniform width and thickness and constituted of a pair of laterally separable strips of different width disposed edge to edge with their adjacent edges interlocked by a tongue and groove connection throughout substantially the full length thereof, means providing for the lateral separation of the narrower strip from the wider of said strips, rivets passing through the wider of said strips and securing the same to the back of the binder cover along a longitudinal line substantially central of the base, and a set of binder posts molded integrally with and extendin vertically upward from each of said strips adjacent therespective outer edge Strips, andsaid posts bein lSlgQfiQd substantially entirely between the vertical, planes of the, oppos ite side edges of the base to, protect the againstbreakage.

A,-ligh,t,weight durable loose leaf ring-hinder cf. mold d, se plastic material. se d e ith'e back of a binder'cover and comprising, a thick base member of substantially uniform width and thickness and constituted of a pair of laterally separable strips of difierent Width disposed edge to edge with their adjacent edges interlocked by a'tongue and groove connection throughout substantially the full length thereof, means providing for the lateral separation of the narrower strip from the wider of said strips, rivets passing through the wider of said strips and securing the same to the back of the binder cover along a longitudinal line substantially central, of the base, a pivotal connection between said strips at one end thereof, a lock for securing said strips in closed relation at the end thereof opposite said pivotal connection, said pivotal connection and lock being disposed substantially within the width and thickness of the base to protect the same from breakage, and a set of binder posts molded integrally with and extendin vertically upward from each of said strips adjacent the respective outer edge thereof, the posts of each set curving inwardly to meet and engage the corresponding posts of the other at a parting line substantially within the vertical plane of the meeting edges of the strips, and said posts being disposedsubstantially entirely between the vertical planes of the opposite side edges of the base to protect the same against breakage.

8. A lightweight durable loose leaf ring binder of molded set plastic material adapted to be secured to the back of a binder cover, comprising a thick base member of substantially uniform thickness and width and constituted of 'a pair of laterally separable strips of the full thickness of the base disposed edge to edge and having integrally molded therewith a set of ring posts rising substantially vertically from each strip in the thick body portion thereof near the outer edge, means providing for the lateral separation of said strips, and means for interlocking and securing said strips in edgeto edge relation with the corresponding posts of each set in engagement at their upper ends to constitute a set of closed rings for the binder, said interlocking means including a vertical interlock for the adja- 1 cent edges of said strips for substantially the full length thereof, and said posts being interlocked under pressure when said. strips are closed together in locked position.

. CLIFFORD BROOKS STEVENS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 331,043 Dunn Nov. 24, 1885 794,682 Richards July 1905 843,229 Myers Feb. 5, 1907 873,151 Maclachlan Dec. 10, 1907 1,623,339 Goldstein Apr. 5, 1927 (Other references on following page) 7 9; e: LUNfITED STATES PATENTS Number Number nt ina' Mar. 16, 1943 498,448v

e v H i", t t. N ame V Date 2,318,431 Sparks; May'4f1943 Y Dawson Jan;1'l,:1933 2,330,749 v 'Schade Sept. 28,1943 Irving; Apr. 25,1933 5 2,363,848 Emmer NOV. 28, 1944 Meyers Apr. 25, 1933 F 9 1 'Freiberg Feb. 6, 1934 FOREIGN V I Unger Feb 23 1939 Number Country Date Hanna Feb. 27,1940 7 5,69 'Great Britain 1903 Hanna Aug 5, 1941 309,566 Great Britain 1929 

